The topic of sexuality came up when the mother-of-four started discussing her role in the upcoming film "Carol," based on the 1952 Patricia Highsmith novel "The Price of Salt." The film, set in 1950s New York, is about a female department-store clerk (Rooney Mara) who dreams of a better life and falls for an older, married woman (Blanchett).

When asked if this was her first turn as a lesbian, Blanchett-- who's married to playwright Andrew Upton -- said with a smile, "On film -- or in real life?"